1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; amending feedlot permit 
  1.3             provisions; providing specific requirements for 
  1.4             feedlot permit rules; adding requirements for 
  1.5             administrative penalty orders; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1998, sections 116.06, by adding a 
  1.7             subdivision; 116.07, subdivision 7c, and by adding a 
  1.8             subdivision; and 116.0713; Minnesota Statutes 1999 
  1.9             Supplement, section 116.07, subdivision 7; proposing 
  1.10            coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 
  1.11            18B; and 18C. 
  1.12  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.13     Section 1.  [18B.432] [MANURE APPLICATOR EDUCATION AND 
  1.14  TRAINING.] 
  1.15     Subdivision 1.  [EDUCATION AND TRAINING.] (a) The 
  1.16  commissioner shall develop, in conjunction with the University 
  1.17  of Minnesota extension service, innovative educational and 
  1.18  training programs addressing manure applicator concerns, 
  1.19  including water quality protection and the development of manure 
  1.20  management plans. 
  1.21     (b) The commissioner shall appoint educational planning 
  1.22  committees which must include representatives of industry. 
  1.23     (c) Specific current regulatory concerns must be discussed 
  1.24  and, if appropriate, incorporated into each training session. 
  1.25     (d) The commissioner may approve programs from private 
  1.26  industry and nonprofit organizations that meet minimum 
  1.27  requirements for education, training, and certification. 
  1.28     Subd. 2.  [TRAINING MANUAL AND EXAMINATION 
  2.1   DEVELOPMENT.] The commissioner, in conjunction with the 
  2.2   University of Minnesota extension service, shall continually 
  2.3   revise and update manure applicator training manuals and 
  2.4   examinations.  Questions in the examinations must be determined 
  2.5   by the responsible agencies.  Manuals and examinations must 
  2.6   include manure management practices that discuss prevention of 
  2.7   manure occurrence in waters of the state. 
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [18C.433] [PRIVATE MANURE APPLICATOR 
  2.9   CERTIFICATION.] 
  2.10     Subdivision 1.  [REQUIREMENT.] Beginning January 1, 2004, 
  2.11  except for a commercial animal waste technician, only a 
  2.12  certified private manure applicator may apply animal waste from 
  2.13  a feedlot that is registered under rules of the pollution 
  2.14  control agency to produce an agricultural commodity. 
  2.15     Subd. 2.  [CERTIFICATION.] (a) The commissioner shall 
  2.16  prescribe certification requirements and provide training.  The 
  2.17  training may be done in cooperation with other government 
  2.18  agencies and must be at least three hours long. 
  2.19     (b) A person must apply to the commissioner for 
  2.20  certification as a private manure applicator.  The certification 
  2.21  expires March 1 of the third calendar year after the initial 
  2.22  year of certification. 
  2.23     (c) The commissioner shall issue a private manure 
  2.24  applicator card to a certified private manure applicator. 
  2.25     Subd. 3.  [FEES.] (a) A person applying to be certified as 
  2.26  a private manure applicator must pay a nonrefundable $10 
  2.27  application fee. 
  2.28     (b) A $5 fee must be paid for the issuance of a duplicate 
  2.29  private manure applicator card. 
  2.30     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 116.06, is 
  2.31  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.32     Subd. 4a.  [ANIMAL UNIT.] "Animal unit" means a unit of 
  2.33  measure used for an animal feedlot, manure storage area, or 
  2.34  pasture calculated by multiplying the number of animals of each 
  2.35  type in clauses (1) to (9) by the respective multiplication 
  2.36  factor and summing the resulting values for the total number of 
  3.1   animal units.  For purposes of this chapter, the following 
  3.2   multiplication factors apply: 
  3.3      (1) one mature dairy cow, whether milked or dry: 
  3.4      (i) over 1,000 pounds, 1.4 animal units; or 
  3.5      (ii) under 1,000 pounds, 1.0 animal unit; 
  3.6      (2) one slaughter steer, head of feeder cattle, or heifer, 
  3.7   1.0 animal unit; 
  3.8      (3) one head of swine: 
  3.9      (i) over 300 pounds, 0.4 animal unit; 
  3.10     (ii) between 55 pounds and 300 pounds, .25 animal unit; and 
  3.11     (iii) under 55 pounds, 0.05 animal unit; 
  3.12     (4) one horse, 1.0 animal unit; 
  3.13     (5) one sheep or lamb, 0.1 animal unit; 
  3.14     (6) one chicken: 
  3.15     (i) one laying hen or broiler, if the facility has a liquid 
  3.16  manure system, 0.033 animal unit; or 
  3.17     (ii) one chicken: 
  3.18     (A) over five pounds, 0.005 animal unit; or 
  3.19     (B) under five pounds, 0.003 animal unit; 
  3.20     (7) one turkey: 
  3.21     (i) over five pounds, 0.018 animal unit; or 
  3.22     (ii) under five pounds, 0.005 animal unit; 
  3.23     (8) one duck, 0.01 animal unit; and 
  3.24     (9) for animals not listed in clauses (1) to (8), the 
  3.25  number of animal units is the average weight of the animal in 
  3.26  pounds divided by 1,000 pounds. 
  3.27     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  3.28  116.07, subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  3.29     Subd. 7.  [COUNTIES; PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS FOR ANIMAL 
  3.30  LOT PERMITS.] Any Minnesota county board may, by resolution, 
  3.31  with approval of the pollution control agency, assume 
  3.32  responsibility for processing applications for permits required 
  3.33  by the pollution control agency under this section for livestock 
  3.34  feedlots, poultry lots or other animal lots.  The responsibility 
  3.35  for permit application processing, if assumed by a county, may 
  3.36  be delegated by the county board to any appropriate county 
  4.1   officer or employee.  
  4.2      (a) For the purposes of this subdivision, the term 
  4.3   "processing" includes: 
  4.4      (1) the distribution to applicants of forms provided by the 
  4.5   pollution control agency; 
  4.6      (2) the receipt and examination of completed application 
  4.7   forms, and the certification, in writing, to the pollution 
  4.8   control agency either that the animal lot facility for which a 
  4.9   permit is sought by an applicant will comply with applicable 
  4.10  rules and standards, or, if the facility will not comply, the 
  4.11  respects in which a variance would be required for the issuance 
  4.12  of a permit; and 
  4.13     (3) rendering to applicants, upon request, assistance 
  4.14  necessary for the proper completion of an application. 
  4.15     (b) For the purposes of this subdivision, the term 
  4.16  "processing" may include, at the option of the county board, 
  4.17  issuing, denying, modifying, imposing conditions upon, or 
  4.18  revoking permits pursuant to the provisions of this section or 
  4.19  rules promulgated pursuant to it, subject to review, suspension, 
  4.20  and reversal by the pollution control agency.  The pollution 
  4.21  control agency shall, after written notification, have 15 days 
  4.22  to review, suspend, modify, or reverse the issuance of the 
  4.23  permit.  After this period, the action of the county board is 
  4.24  final, subject to appeal as provided in chapter 14.  Section 
  4.25  15.99 applies to feedlot permits issued by the agency or a 
  4.26  county pursuant to this subdivision. 
  4.27     (c) For the purpose of administration of rules adopted 
  4.28  under this subdivision, the commissioner and the agency may 
  4.29  provide exceptions for cases where the owner of a feedlot has 
  4.30  specific written plans to close the feedlot within five years.  
  4.31  These exceptions include waiving requirements for major capital 
  4.32  improvements. 
  4.33     (d) For purposes of this subdivision, a discharge caused by 
  4.34  an extraordinary natural event such as a precipitation event of 
  4.35  greater magnitude than the 25-year, 24-hour event, tornado, or 
  4.36  flood in excess of the 100-year flood is not a "direct discharge 
  5.1   of pollutants." 
  5.2      (e) In adopting and enforcing rules under this subdivision, 
  5.3   the commissioner shall cooperate closely with other governmental 
  5.4   agencies. 
  5.5      (f) The pollution control agency shall work with the 
  5.6   Minnesota extension service, the department of agriculture, the 
  5.7   board of water and soil resources, producer groups, local units 
  5.8   of government, as well as with appropriate federal agencies such 
  5.9   as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm 
  5.10  Service Agency, to notify and educate producers of rules under 
  5.11  this subdivision at the time the rules are being developed and 
  5.12  adopted and at least every two years thereafter. 
  5.13     (g) The pollution control agency shall adopt rules 
  5.14  governing the issuance and denial of permits for livestock 
  5.15  feedlots, poultry lots or other animal lots pursuant to this 
  5.16  section.  A feedlot permit is not required for livestock 
  5.17  feedlots with more than ten but less than 50 animal units; 
  5.18  provided they are not in shoreland areas.  These rules apply 
  5.19  both to permits issued by counties and to permits issued by the 
  5.20  pollution control agency directly.  
  5.21     (h) The pollution control agency shall exercise supervising 
  5.22  authority with respect to the processing of animal lot permit 
  5.23  applications by a county. 
  5.24     (i) Any new rules or amendments to existing rules proposed 
  5.25  under the authority granted in this subdivision, or to implement 
  5.26  new fees on animal feedlots, must be submitted to the members of 
  5.27  legislative policy and finance committees with jurisdiction over 
  5.28  agriculture and the environment prior to final adoption.  The 
  5.29  rules must not become effective until 90 days after the proposed 
  5.30  rules are submitted to the members.  
  5.31     (j) Until new rules are adopted that provide for plans for 
  5.32  manure storage structures, any plans for a liquid manure storage 
  5.33  structure must be prepared or approved by a registered 
  5.34  professional engineer or a United States Department of 
  5.35  Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service employee. 
  5.36     (k) A county may adopt by ordinance standards for animal 
  6.1   feedlots that are more stringent than standards in pollution 
  6.2   control agency rules. 
  6.3      (l) After January 1, 2001, a county that has not accepted 
  6.4   delegation of the feedlot permit program must hold a public 
  6.5   meeting prior to the agency issuing a feedlot permit for a 
  6.6   feedlot facility with 300 or more animal units, unless another 
  6.7   public meeting has been held with regard to the feedlot facility 
  6.8   to be permitted. 
  6.9      (m) After the proposed rules published in the State 
  6.10  Register, volume 24, number 25, are finally adopted, the agency 
  6.11  may not impose additional conditions as a part of a feedlot 
  6.12  permit, unless specifically required by law. 
  6.13     (n) For the purposes of feedlot permitting, land-applied 
  6.14  manure, manure stockpiles, and confinement systems that are 
  6.15  managed according to agency rule must not be considered a 
  6.16  discharge into waters of the state. 
  6.17     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 116.07, 
  6.18  subdivision 7c, is amended to read: 
  6.19     Subd. 7c.  [NPDES PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS.] (a) The agency 
  6.20  must issue National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
  6.21  permits for feedlots with 1,000 animal units or more and that 
  6.22  meet the definition of a "concentrated animal feeding operation" 
  6.23  in Code of Federal Regulations, title 40, section 122.23, based 
  6.24  on the following schedule: 
  6.25     (1) for applications received after April 22, 1998, a 
  6.26  permit for a newly constructed or expanded animal feedlot with 
  6.27  2,000 or more animal units must be issued as an individual 
  6.28  permit; 
  6.29     (2) for applications received after January 1, 1999, a 
  6.30  permit for a newly constructed or expanded animal feedlot with 
  6.31  between 1,000 and 2,000 animal units that is identified as a 
  6.32  priority by the commissioner, using criteria established under 
  6.33  paragraph (e) (d), must be issued as an individual permit; and 
  6.34     (3) (2) after January 1, 2001, all an existing feedlots 
  6.35  with 1,000 or more animal units feedlot that is identified as a 
  6.36  priority by the commissioner, using criteria established under 
  7.1   paragraph (e) must be issued as an individual or general 
  7.2   National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.; and 
  7.3      (b) By October 1, 1999, (3) the agency must issue a general 
  7.4   National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for 
  7.5   animal feedlots with between 1,000 and 2,000 animal units that 
  7.6   are not identified under paragraph (a), clause (1) or (2). 
  7.7      (c) (b) Prior to the issuance of a general National 
  7.8   Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for a category of 
  7.9   animal feedlot facility permittees, the agency must hold at 
  7.10  least one public hearing on the permit issuance. 
  7.11     (d) (c) To the extent practicable, the agency must include 
  7.12  a public notice and comment period for an individual National 
  7.13  Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit concurrent with 
  7.14  any public notice and comment for: 
  7.15     (1) the purpose of environmental review of the same 
  7.16  facility under chapter 116D; or 
  7.17     (2) the purpose of obtaining a conditional use permit from 
  7.18  a local unit of government where the local government unit is 
  7.19  the responsible governmental unit for purposes of environmental 
  7.20  review under chapter 116D. 
  7.21     (e) By January 1, 1999, (d) The commissioner, in 
  7.22  consultation with the feedlot and manure management advisory 
  7.23  committee, created under section 17.136, and other interested 
  7.24  parties must develop criteria for determining whether an 
  7.25  individual National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
  7.26  permit is required under paragraph (a), clause (2), for an 
  7.27  animal feedlot with between 1,000 and 2,000 animal units (1).  
  7.28  The criteria must be based on proximity to waters of the state, 
  7.29  facility design, and other site-specific environmental factors. 
  7.30     (f) By January 1, 2000, (e) The commissioner, in 
  7.31  consultation with the feedlot and manure management advisory 
  7.32  committee, created under section 17.136, and other interested 
  7.33  parties must develop criteria for determining whether an 
  7.34  individual National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
  7.35  permit is required for an existing animal feedlot, under 
  7.36  paragraph (a), clause (3) (2).  The criteria must be based on 
  8.1   violations and other compliance problems at the facility. 
  8.2      Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 116.07, is 
  8.3   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  8.4      Subd. 7d.  [EXCLUSION.] In regulating livestock or animal 
  8.5   feedlots under subdivisions 7 to 7c, a county or the 
  8.6   commissioner must not include manure runoff containment areas 
  8.7   that are less than 6,000 cubic feet in the definition of an 
  8.8   open-air clay, earthen, or flexible membrane-lined swine waste 
  8.9   lagoon. 
  8.10     Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 116.0713, is 
  8.11  amended to read: 
  8.12     116.0713 [LIVESTOCK ODOR.] 
  8.13     (a) The pollution control agency must: 
  8.14     (1) monitor and identify potential livestock facility 
  8.15  violations of the state ambient air quality standards for 
  8.16  hydrogen sulfide, using a protocol for responding to citizen 
  8.17  complaints regarding feedlot odor and its hydrogen sulfide 
  8.18  component, including the appropriate use of portable monitoring 
  8.19  equipment that enables monitoring staff to follow plumes; 
  8.20     (2) when livestock production facilities are found to be in 
  8.21  violation of ambient hydrogen sulfide standards, take 
  8.22  appropriate actions necessary to ensure compliance, utilizing 
  8.23  appropriate technical assistance and enforcement and penalty 
  8.24  authorities provided to the agency by statute and rule. 
  8.25     (b) Livestock production facilities are exempt from state 
  8.26  ambient air quality standards while manure is being removed and 
  8.27  for seven days after manure is removed from barns or manure 
  8.28  storage facilities. 
  8.29     (c) For a livestock production facility having greater than 
  8.30  1,000 animal units, the maximum cumulative exemption in a 
  8.31  calendar year under paragraph (b) is 21 days for the removal 
  8.32  process. 
  8.33     (d) The operator of a livestock production facility that 
  8.34  claims exemption from state ambient air quality standards under 
  8.35  paragraph (b) must provide notice of that claim to either the 
  8.36  pollution control agency or the county feedlot officer delegated 
  9.1   under section 116.07. 
  9.2      (e) State ambient air quality standards are applicable at 
  9.3   the property boundary of a farm or a parcel of agricultural land 
  9.4   on which a livestock production facility is located, except that 
  9.5   if the owner or operator of the farm or parcel obtains an air 
  9.6   quality easement from the owner of land adjoining such farm or 
  9.7   parcel, the air quality standards must be applicable at the 
  9.8   property boundary of the adjoining land to which the easement 
  9.9   pertains.  The air quality easement must be for no more than 
  9.10  five years, must be in writing, and must be available upon 
  9.11  request by the agency or the county feedlot officer.  
  9.12  Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, state ambient 
  9.13  air quality standards are applicable at locations to which the 
  9.14  general public has access.  The "general public" does not 
  9.15  include employees, trespassers, or other categories of people 
  9.16  who have been directly authorized by the property owner to enter 
  9.17  or remain on the property for a limited period of time and for a 
  9.18  specific purpose. 
  9.19     (f) The agency may not require air emission modeling for a 
  9.20  type of livestock system that has not had a hydrogen sulfide 
  9.21  emission violation. 
  9.22     Sec. 8.  [RULES FOR ANIMAL FEEDLOTS AND STORAGE, 
  9.23  TRANSPORTATION, AND UTILIZATION OF MANURE.] 
  9.24     (a) The pollution control agency shall amend the proposed 
  9.25  permanent rules relating to animal feedlots and storage, 
  9.26  transportation, and utilization of manure, published in the 
  9.27  State Register, volume 24, number 25, pages 848 to 884, December 
  9.28  20, 1999, according to this section. 
  9.29     (b) The agency shall remove the following provisions of the 
  9.30  proposed rules: 
  9.31     (1) restrictions on the pasturing of animals; 
  9.32     (2) statements that the rules do not preempt the adoption 
  9.33  or enforcement of local government zoning ordinances; 
  9.34     (3) manure management plan requirements, except in the case 
  9.35  of a national pollutant discharge elimination system permit or a 
  9.36  construction permit; and 
 10.1      (4) manure that is produced by animals that are not owned 
 10.2   or managed by the person from the animal unit calculations. 
 10.3      (c) In the rules, the agency shall not require: 
 10.4      (1) manure storage facility specifications that are above 
 10.5   those necessary as determined by a registered professional 
 10.6   engineer or a United States Department of Agriculture, Natural 
 10.7   Resources Conservation Service employee, to meet state and 
 10.8   federal discharge and water quality restrictions; 
 10.9      (2) a feedlot operator to clean out a barn, unless the 
 10.10  agency determines that the barn is an imminent public health 
 10.11  threat; 
 10.12     (3) information on the permit application that is not 
 10.13  required in the rules, unless the feedlot operator will be using 
 10.14  a new technology; and 
 10.15     (4) more than the following information on the newspaper 
 10.16  notification of proposed construction or expansion: 
 10.17     (i) name of the owner or owners; 
 10.18     (ii) name of the facility; 
 10.19     (iii) location of the facility by county, township, 
 10.20  section, or quarter-section; 
 10.21     (iv) species of livestock and total animal units; and 
 10.22     (v) type of building and manure storage system. 
 10.23     (d) In the rules, the agency shall: 
 10.24     (1) include a registration notice provision requiring the 
 10.25  permitting authority to notify feedlot operators at least 90 
 10.26  days prior to the registration deadline; 
 10.27     (2) include a provision requiring that a receipt of 
 10.28  registration be sent back to the feedlot operator within 30 days 
 10.29  of receipt of the registration by the agency or the delegated 
 10.30  county; 
 10.31     (3) provide that feedlot permits remain in effect until a 
 10.32  new permit is issued by the agency or a county; 
 10.33     (4) provide that location restrictions for schools and 
 10.34  child care centers apply only to licensed child care centers, 
 10.35  the public schools defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 
 10.36  120A.05, and private schools, excluding home school sites; 
 11.1      (5) allow for compliance with interim corrective measures 
 11.2   for eligible open lots by October 1, 2004; 
 11.3      (6) allow direct notification of a feedlot permit 
 11.4   application in lieu of the newspaper notification as provided in 
 11.5   Minnesota Statutes, section 116.07, subdivision 7a; and 
 11.6      (7) allow extension of a short-term stockpile site because 
 11.7   growing crops or crop removal prohibit land application of 
 11.8   manure. 
 11.9      Sec. 9.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
 11.10     Sections 1 to 8 are effective the day following final 
 11.11  enactment.